polish pilots nearly crash plane in britain

A Polish flight crew forced to rely on air traffic control directions after their navigation system shut down nearly collided with another plane over Heathrow because they had such poor English, it emerged today.

and to think that we pay these poles english lessons dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1025911/Polish-pilots-poor-English-led-mid-air-collision-Heathrow.html - Poor English of Polish pilots

A Polish flight crew forced to rely on air traffic control directions after their navigation system shut down nearly collided with another plane over Heathrow because they had such poor English, it emerged today.

The LOT airlines Boeing 737, carrying 89 passengers to Warsaw, wandered around the skies over London for nearly half an hour as the pilots struggled to understand basic instructions.

I wonder what difference it made having the locked steel door between passengers and flight crew. How many competent individuals can we suppose could have helped in this case. Also, the air stewards must have spoken both languages. And why didn't air-traffic control seek help from a pilot or individual who could translate.

- Lufthansa (in German): Ground, what is our start clearance time?- Ground (in English): If you want an answer you must speak in English.- Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany . Why must I speak English?- Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): Because you lost the bloody war!

P.S.As incubus said fluent English isn't required, only basic messages (usually used in a very repetitive manner).